Our goals are (1) to accumulate a sufficient body of data concerning growth and nutrition of the infant miniature pig to evaluate the extent of usefulness of this animal as a model for studies of growth and nutrition of the human infant; (2) to utilize the pig for development and validation of procedures and methods that can then be safely used in studies of the living human infant; and (3) to investigate in the infant pig problems of importance in nutritional management of the human infant. Comparative studies of growth and body composition of sow-reared pigs and pigs fed various experimental diets during the early weeks of life are continuing. Particular attention is being paid to the type of protein and carbohydrate in the diet. A number of problems of nutritional significance with respect to the human infant are being studied. Current studies include evaluation of the influence of dietary phytate (present in soy isolate formulas that are fed to some 300,000 infants per year) on mineral metabolism. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Filer, L.J., Jr.: Studies of salt preference in infancy and childhood. Proceedings of the Third Plasmon Symposium, 1976, in press. Filer L.J., Jr.: Relationship of nutrition to lactation and newborn development. Chapter in Nutrition and Human Development: Biochemical and Clinical Aspects. K.S. Moghissi and T.N. Evans (Editors) Harper & Row 1976, in press.